[.uk] Viva Poncho: Twenty Ponchos and Capelets to Knit (ISBN 1584794216)

full of cute, simple designs:
If you like ponchos and you want some quick, easy knits that you can do in front of the TV, this is the book for you. Nothing in here seems too taxing or complicated, even for a newbie. There are multiple photographs of each design, so you can see the ponchos from different angles and even on different models. And there are patterns for all seasons -- breezy, flowing wraps for the warmer months and thicker, cozy ones for cooler climes . . . That's important to me as a knitter in the South, where clunky woolen garments are of limited utility. This book was a good purchase.

Like ponchos?:
Good book, for knitting ponchos, though a lot of them were merely variations of others in the book. There are only a few capelet patterns, so beware, capelet lovers! There are no crocheting patterns in this book. The photography is very nice; I spent a summer in Santa Cruz, so I recognized the area! Each section of the book tries to teach the knitter to do a new skill, so if your skills aren't amazing, this would be a good book to hone them -- especially if you like ponchos!

Something for every knitter.:
Fantastic investment. Ponchos for every skill level with easy instructions on how to make adjustments or changes. Love it!

Wonderful Book!:
This book has several great patterns with wonderful pictures. The patterns are all up-to-date and they show you ways to change it up a bit and make it your own. I just completed one of the caplets and love the way it turned out! There are even basic instructions on how to knit the various stitches that each pattern requires, in case you need a refresher. I would definitely recommend this book for someone who was looking to go beyond knitting a scarf.

Ridiculous waste of money:
I bought this book expecting to find a number of ponchos that I would like to knit. But I found NONE. And some of the ponchos are absolutely ridiculous. To me, a poncho should supply a degree of warmth and actually cover the wearer. Many of the ponchos in this book are terribly holey and transparent -- apparently designed to be decorative or somehow TRENDY -- though they are mostly just ODD or even BIZARRE rather than useful. For instance, one "capelet" is only six inches long and barely covers the shoulders of the child pictured. One "serape" would have been warm but it is too small, leaving most of the wearer's arms exposed. Some of the garments have prissy ribbon bows around the neck. As for the DOG poncho -- words fail me. Then there is the so-called "standard yarn weight system" -- really only an AMERICAN system. Don't expect it to become universal. It has only six categories, ranging from super fine to super bulky. It is time Americans adopted the British system (also used in Australia) in which there are "ply equivalents" (regardless of the actual number of plies in the yarn) ranging from 1 ply (eg the finest Shetland wool) to 12 ply and ocasionally 18 ply (for ski wear) and rug wools. In between there are 2 ply, 3 ply, 4 ply, 5 ply, 6 ply, 8 ply, 10 ply -- giving about double the number of yarn thicknesses. Each standard "ply" has its own standard needle size and gauge. The main problem with the US system is that the three thicknesses the British system designates as 2, 3 and 4 ply seem to be lumped together as "fine", with a range of needle sizes, whereas they are very different, with very different gauges and purposes. The same seems to happen with the category "light", which is apparently about 5, 6 or even 8 ply and "medium" which seems to be about 10 to 12 ply -- it's hard to tell. It's all much too imprecise. In case anyone from outside America wants to use a book like this, it would be useful to show the USUAL GAUGE of a yarn -- the one printed on the ball band -- not just the gauge in a particular pattern, which could be very different. This would facilitate the substitution of yarns. None of the suggested yarns in this book is a "basic" yarn. They are all specific American brands and mostly blends.